T-Mobile Supports Petitions Against 5G Fund, Verizon Opposes

WASHINGTON, April 2, 2025 – T-Mobile asked the Federal Communications Commission to grant requests from rural carriers to hold off on a planned $9 billion program to expand rural 5G coverage. Verizon opposed the rural carriers’ request to make more locations eligible for funding.

T-Mobile pointed to the $42.5 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program, which, despite the Trump administration’s preference for satellite, appears poised to fund some amount of fiber that could potentially be used by future mobile networks.

“Given the unprecedented infusion of billions of dollars of federal and state funding as well as ongoing private investment in 5G Fund infrastructure, it is premature for the Commission to proceed with the 5G Fund auction,” the company said in a filing penned by director of regulatory affairs Indra Chalk.